The Wrath of Zankou
by xXLiFeGoEsOnXx
Summary: A Charmed One is kidnapped by Zankou. Will she die, with Zankou in complete control of the Underworld and the Charmed Ones(I need help to add chapters)
1. Prologue

**OK i entered a second chapter and its not showing up on this site...I took all the steps and still, no second chapter. So until someone tells me what to do, there can't be updates.**

**This is directly after the Avatars, a little over a month later, with everything about the storyline intact. Oh, except, for my creative purposes, Kyle either isn't or hasn't told Paige that he is, a Whitelighter, and I'll decide which as the story progresses. You'll see why… **

**Oh, yeah, in my story don't hate Piper. She's going to be grief-stricken and a little _rude_ in the beginning, but then she'll become the Piper we all know and love. **

**Disclaimer: Some people have the need for stating the obvious, so here it goes. I don't own Charmed, or anything that you recognize. If I did, I wouldn't be writing about on a website, I would be out producing the show. And I would have made a few changes…like saving the lives of a few Charmed hunks…**

**TEASER**

**The Manor-Kitchen-Morning**

Piper was sitting at the kitchen table, feeding Chris his breakfast and trying to help Wyatt eat his at the same time, both of her hands occupied while her lower lip twitched and her eyes watered. The babies were not cooperating, and Piper seemed to be on the edge of tears. Wyatt threw his banana on the ground and exclaimed,

"Dada!" in his baby voice, looking up towards the attic. In a second, Piper's entire face melted over. All of her worry and her tears seemed to slide away and she began to run upstairs. Leo…she missed him so much. After the Avatars, they both had known that trouble was in store for him, and sooner than they had liked. The Elders called Leo 'Up There' for a chat over three weeks ago, and Piper hadn't seen hide nor hair of him yet. Wyatt seemed to be intune to his Daddy, so maybe he had sensed Leo returning home? With that thought running through her head, Piper thrust open the attic door, Leo's name on her lips, hope in her heart.

Her entire world plummeted when all she saw was Paige, fast asleep, with her head on the Book of Shadows, totally surrounded by ingredients for hundreds of spells. Paige had been trying effortlessly to bring Brody back, and Piper and Phoebe had decided to let her try. This way, at least, she would know that she had done everything she could and move on. At least, as much as she ever could. Piper felt a tiny twinge of sympathy for Paige, who obviously wasn't coping well, but that feeling was soon droned out with her own feelings of remorse.

Piper decided to let her youngest sister sleep peacefully as long as she could; her room was close to Paige's and she knew that Paige was as restless at night as she was, suffering from the same nightmares she was. Except Paige already knew that her love was dead; Piper could only anticipate it, only imagine what Leo was going through, only dream up things a million times worse than the Elders could ever dream of putting a person through. Paige and Kyle had been spared that, she already knew how he died, not to mention how much the Elders owed Piper and Leo by trying to ruin their relationship all those times. Sending Leo back would call it even. Piper wanted, desperately, to say that to the Elders but without Leo she had no way of reaching them and was afraid to make things worse for her husband. And saying that would acknowledge her feelings, and she had to stay strong for her family, most importantly for her sons. She was a single parent now, she was all they had, and if she broke down they would be virtually orphans.

Piper heard the door slam downstairs and knew that Phoebe had returned home and would be worried about her. Lately, Phoebe was always worried about her, and Paige, seeing how there was so much grief in this house. At least Paige knew what had happened to Kyle, Piper had no idea what was going on with Leo…

Piper shook her distressed thoughts out of her head as she rushed downstairs to, once again, lie to her sister about just how well she was coping with everything. Piper plastered a happy grin on her face and cooed as she picked up Wyatt, who had toddled over to the stairs to wait for his Mamma. She looked over at Phoebe and smiled when she saw her sister spooning peas in her youngest son's mouth. She felt a pang of jealousy and anger for Phoebe; she hadn't lost anything with this Avatar battle. Paige lost Kyle, Piper lost the love of her life, but Phoebe didn't lose anyone. Piper felt like kicking herself. How dare she judge the amounts of pain people receive?

"Hey, there. Where's Paige? I called earlier and talked to her. She sounded awful, and I came home…and she's gone." Phoebe's voice startled Piper out of her guilty thoughts and she once again pulled out her fake smile card.

"Fell asleep on the Book of Shadows. But not before raiding our potion cupboard and cleaning us out of everything from harpy claws to leprechaun's gold." Piper laughed as she said it, she couldn't help herself. Paige's perseverance was slightly annoying, but also admirable. Phoebe grinned and tilted her head to the side, looking Piper directly in the eye, speaking with her 'Ask Phoebe' voice.

"Well, at least she's coping, fighting. Its much better that moping around all the time, not admitting your true feelings." Piper knew that comment was aimed at her, and it stung. So she was moping and hard against the world, but she had earned the ability to rest and wallow in pain. She was tired of having to fight for the lives of the ones she loved, for Prue and now for Leo. She doesn't want to fight anymore.

Before Piper could respond, an ear piercing scream emanated from the attic, filling the sister's hearts with fear.

"Paige." Piper said, in one breathless syllable. Phoebe began running towards the attic, while Piper placed Chris in Wyatt's arms. "Danger, Wyatt, danger." Satisfied that Wyatt's forcefield would protect her children, her last pieces of Leo, Piper sped off in the direction of her sisters. Paige….Zankou must have returned for her, like he did last week, and with her being so out of it lately he could accomplish anything.

Phoebe flung open the door of the attic ready for battle with Piper on her heels. What she saw instead was a terrified and frenzied sister, tears streaming down her cheeks as she desperately tossed ingredient after ingredient in the potion pot. Piper ran a hand through her hair and felt a bubble of anger almost overlap the bubble of empathy she felt towards her sister.

"Another nightmare." Piper said, tonelessly. She was tired of Paige's nightmares. She wanted her to move on with her life, like everyone had expected Piper to move on after Prue died. Like Piper was moving on after Leo…left.

Phoebe walked towards Paige and enveloped her in a hug. Paige tried to fight it, but eventually broke down and cried even harder.

"I should have saved him. I should have listened to him. If I had listened, about the Avatars, he'd still be alive. It's all my fault. I killed him. I killed him." Phoebe rocked Paige back and forth and she cried, and with every word Paige uttered Piper's anger grew and grew. Paige hadn't lost her husband, the father of her children, the love of her life.

Paige cooled down and began to create more potions, and Phoebe tried desperately to stop her, not noticing her rapidly reddening face of her elder sister.

"Paige, he's gone. I'm sorry, honey, I'm sorry but you can't do this. It's not going to work, and we need to be worried about Zankou." Paige shook her head, secretly knowing that Phoebe was right. Kyle was gone, her family needed her to help cope with the loss of Leo, and she needed to deal with everything and move on so she could fight Zankou. But she couldn't, not without a fight to save Kyle. He fought so hard to save the world from the Avatars; she owed him a fight for his life.

"I have to try. I can't, **I won't**, lose him." Paige choked on her tears and pushed Phoebe aside. She was going to bring him back, at least to talk to him, like the sisters talk with Grams all of the time. Paige tried to say the spell for calling a spirit, but her throat was closed off with tears and her brain was swimming in pain. Phoebe shot Piper a helpless glance, and noticed in alarm that her elder sister looked furious.

"Piper…what's wrong?" Piper brushed off her sister's concern and marched over to Paige, looking her straight in the eyes, channeling all of the anger that she felt for the Elders in to this moment, the battle.

"You think you are the only one who lost someone? I lost someone more important than Kyle! I lost our Whitelighter, my husband, the father of my children! I, however, am still out fighting to save the world from Zankou. You are too wrapped up in your mistakes to worry about anyone else. You lost him, you blew it, get over it!" Piper snapped angrily. Phoebe's face widened in shock and watched in horror as Paige's face glazed over, like stone. There was pain in her eyes, immense pain, but her face was a mask. Phoebe knew that, like Prue and Piper, Paige had the habit of suppressing her emotions to the point of a nuclear reaction. Her 'mask' let her sisters know just how far under she was, and Paige looked like she was close to the simmering point.

Paige managed to get a word in, which was remarkable because Piper was ranting with all the anger she felt towards the entire world. Piper seemed to halt surprisingly when Paige spoke, almost reluctant to stop talking, to stop yelling.

"I know, Piper, I know. But I can't lose anyone else. I can't! I killed him…at least your hands aren't filthy with the stain of murder." Paige's voice was shaking and her mask looked like it was about to fall apart. Piper seemed oblivious to how much she was affecting her family, and she pressed on. Phoebe watched, helpless, as tears spilled out of Piper's eyes and her anger began to overwhelm her presence.

"You can't lose anyone else? You didn't lose anyone! Kyle is not worth your grief, you hardly knew him and he meant nothing to the world! Leo was with this family, in my heart, for seven years. He should be mourned; I should be the one in tears. But I can't cry, I can't break down, because I am too busy trying to help you survive everyday, to help you mourn. You let him die, so you have no right to mourn!" Paige reeled back as if she had been slapped, her face red and splotchy and almost glazed over with tears and pain and shock. Phoebe shouted out her Piper's name and grabbed a hold of her elbow, shaking her slightly to get her off of her rocker. She looked a t Paige, took in her panicked eyes and rapidly moving gaze, and began to feel her chest tighten in fear. This wasn't good, wasn't good at all.

"Piper didn't mean it, Paige, she's just upset about Leo. We all are." Paige shook her head, throwing tears in every direction, her voice so choked with emotion it was hardly recognizable.

"She was right. I killed him, I did, and now I'm affecting the way you are allowed to mourn. I'm in everyone's way…I've got to get out…" Paige orbed out, despite Phoebes grab for her ankle as the orbs hit the ceiling. Phoebe turned to her sister, ready to scream, but she saw fear and love and guilt in Piper's eyes. All of Phoebe's anger began to die down. She saw in Piper's eyes just how sorry she was, and she knew that her sister wasn't really all that mad at Paige, Piper was mad at the Elders and the Avatars and she took it out on Paige because she was nearby.

"What have I done? I didn't mean to say those things, I don't even feel them! I'm just so angry at the world. With Prue, I could cry my eyes out for days but now, I don't know if I should mourn because I don't even know if he's alive. And I have two children to take care of, plus a half-collapsed sister and I was so set on staying strong I didn't notice just how much I needed to cry. We are so good, in this family, with hiding our grief, with Andy, and Cole, and Prue, and the millions of times that we ourselves have died in some way, so when Paige openly showed her emotions I didn't know what to do. I envy her, being able to mourn normally." Piper felt her eyes begin to fill with even more tears. Because she had been unable to control her emotions, Piper might have lost her sister on top of her husband.

**This entire chapter was basically about Piper, which was necessary to set the foundation for the storyline. In the future, I will branch out and show more of each character, equally. **


	2. Guilt and Danger

**Chapter 1**

**Kyle's Apartment-night**

Paige orbed in to Kyle's apartment, and collapsed on the bed, worn out from excessive orbing and out of control emotions. She had spun an orb trail that would take her sister's hours, if not days, to unravel and by then she would be over everything. She had to be, because Piper was right about Kyle. About everything. Hearing someone confess her worst fears did little to cleanse her soul.

All Paige wanted was to wallow in her pain, to grieve over the loss of the love of her life, but she knew know that she had to move on with her life and protect the world and her family from Zankou. It was her destiny, and she was going to fight her pain until she overcame it. Kyle would have wanted her to survive and to protect the world that he died trying to save.

All of this thinking about Kyle brought fresh tears to Paige's eyes and she rolled over, curling herself up in a ball. She cried for all of the times they had laughed and kissed and loved each other, for the times to come that would be empty without his presence, for all of the times she wouldn't get to feel his arms around her. She cried for her guilt, in causing his death and for hurting her sisters by being so selfish, and she cried for the immense amount of loneliness she felt without him here telling her to trust in herself and her sisters. She cried because she knew that soon, she wouldn't let herself cry anymore, she would adopt the Halliwell philosophy of ignoring and suppressing your pain until it almost disappears. It's what her sisters did for Prue, what Phoebe did for Cole, what Piper was doing for Leo, and what Paige had to do for Kyle.

Paige cried until she was too dehydrated to cry any more. Then she sat up, wiped her tears off of her face, and began packing his room up, almost in a trance. This is how she would say goodbye, how she would mourn him and move on. By the time his apartment was packed and ready to go, she would be ready to fight Zankou and move on with her life as best as she could. Paige knew that when she did return to the manor, Piper would be acting a little differently than she had been when Paige left. Piper's words cut her heart in two, but Paige knew how easy it was to say anything at all when your heart is suffering from loss. She knew how much she wanted to curl up and die, and Piper was right…Leo meant more to the world, to the entire family, than Kyle ever could.

Paige, in fact, was so busy saying goodbye to Kyle, so focused on moving on, that she didn't notice the movement in the corner of the room, or the growing shadow as it inched closer towards her. The image of an athame flickered on the wall, as the sunlight hit its shiny surface.

**Manor-Attic-Dawn (Early Morning)**

Piper was scrying, tears on her cheeks as she moved the crystal from location to location on the map. _It's my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at her, it's not her I'm mad at, and even if I was I had no right to be so brutal to my own sister. I'm mad at Leo, for leaving so willingly and for the Elders for calling him away. But Paige…she was in mourning. Mourning like a ordinary person, but not like a Halliwell. When we find her, I can't wait to apologize and tell her how much I need her to be able to mourn, so I can see how its done, so I know that at least someone around here has the chance to move on, to be normal. _

_Damn, if only Paige couldn't orb…this wouldn't be necessary. _

Phoebe entered the attic at a run, looking almost as harried as Piper. She felt her sisters' pain through her 'sister connection' but seeing the look in her sisters' eyes was too much, especially with her empathy, even with Chris' blocking potion. She knew what they were going through, what Paige was now going through alone. Phoebe, although she wasn't planning on admitting it, was scared that Paige would disappear and never return. She was terrified that she would never see her sister again.

"The boy's are fine; I sent them to Magic School with Ms. Donovan. She came to see if Paige had some paper's graded yet…Did you find anything?" Phoebe was hopeful, but she wasn't stupid. Paige had been a witch for a few years now, and was well aware of how to magically hide her trail. She was a true Halliwell. Suddenly, Phoebe received a miny epiphany. They were thinking as witches, not as sisters. The second she began to think as a sister, she knew exactly where Paige was. It seemed obvious, and she felt incredibly ignorant for not realizing it sooner.

"Come on, I know where she is!" Phoebe called as she ran down the hall. Piper followed her, completely confused, but desperate for a lead of any sort.

"How? You're not a telepath now, are you?" Piper's voice was even more panicked. The last thing they needed was more powers to sort through. With two family members on the loose, one voluntary and one not, adding uncontrollable powers to the mix was a nightmare. Phoebe laughed as they slammed the front door and rushed to the car.

"No, I'm a sister." Piper was very confused by this statement, and Phoebe began to explain as they started the engine and drove out of the driveway.

"It's like me and mausoleum … Cole and I had our special place, somewhere that I could go to think about him and vice versa." This seemed to confuse Piper even more.

"Why would Paige go to the mausoleum?" Phoebe looked sharply at her sister, and realization began to dawn in Piper's eyes.

"I get it! She's got to be at Kyle's apartment." Phoebe nodded and the two sisters shared a laugh, one of the first laughs they had uttered for three weeks.

**Kyle's Apartment-early morning**

The shadow watched Paige as she wept openly and waited. When she was at her worst, totally vulnerable and emotionally raw, he would attack. Until then, he would wait and watch and plan. It wouldn't be long.

Paige felt her hands tremble as she began to pack the last box of his bedroom. Her head hurt unceasingly, she missed Kyle so much her heart ached, and she was fatigued. But she had to pack this last box, to at least finish her journey of acceptance that much sooner.

"Hello, Paige." A cold sinister voice whispered her name and Paige spun around, alarmed. Her guard was down, she was exhausted and hardly emotionally fit for a battle with an ordinary human, let alone a demon, right now. To Paige's horror, she was face to face with Zankou. He smiled his evil grin and twirled an athame between his fingers.

"I was hoping to find you here. Hoping to kill you here, all alone, with no one to come to your aid." Zankou laughed as panic grew in Paige's eyes and she began orbing out. She managed to raise herself to the ceiling, but then she fell down again and landed hard on the floor. She was too tired to orb, too tired to breathe, but yet she had to fight Zankou all on her own.

"My sisters and I with vanquish you." Paige said, with more certainty than she possessed. Zankou shook his head and gathered a fire ball in his hand.

"I cloaked the apartment from scrying. They won't come until it is too late, and without the Power of Three there is no need for me to wait before becoming the next Source." Paige dodged the incoming fireball and careened in to a huge desk, smashing it and receiving a nasty gash on her leg. They began to fight, Paige using her limited energy to throw random objects at Zankou and for dodging his knife attacks and fireballs, and Zankou having what seemed to be the time of his life.

Paige knew she was fading fast and wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. She thought of her sisters, and prayed with all of her heart that somehow they had managed to find her, that somehow they would save her before it was too late.

**Kyle's Apartment Building-early morning**

Piper and Phoebe were wandering around the hall, trying to find Kyle's apartment. Neither of them knew which one it was, where it was, or how to get there. They were beginning to get desperate, knowing that every second Paige spends alone she is digging deeper wounds.

Phoebe was touching random doors, trying to get a premonition of Paige, while Piper was wandering aimlessly. Suddenly, a mind-numbing scream echoed throughout the building. Piper and Phoebe turned to each other, and exclaimed,

"Paige!" simultaneously. They began to run in the direction of the screams. Piper's heart was racing and her witch senses were in full speed. She knew, KNEW, that something was not right with Paige, that she was in danger. Phoebe seemed to know it, too, and her eyes were wide with dread and shock anticipation.

They reached the door from which the screams were emanating and Piper immediately blew it up. The sister's rushed inside; expecting the worst, dreading the demonic situation they knew was to come.

"Paige!" Piper cried out, terrified. The room was definitely the place of a demon attack. Furniture all around was in shambles, items scattered around the floor, scorch marks everywhere and the smell of blood lay heavily in the air. Paige, however, was no where to be found.

"Hello, witches." Phoebe and Piper spun a round at the tone of the sinister voice, prepared and ready for battle, not anywhere near ready for what they saw next. Zankou, the practically invincible demon, and Paige. Zankou held a bloody Paige tight to his chest with one arm, and pressed an athame spotted with blood to her neck.

"Paige, oh my god!" Piper exclaimed, and tears of worry, love, and fright sprang in to her eyes. Paige was bleeding from her shoulder, and from a scorch mark on her stomach. She looked battered and bruised and almost at the point of collapse. She was beyond the point of serious healing needs, and looked as if she was fighting for life at every second. And she was in the arms of the second most dangerous demon, next to the Source of course, that they had ever fought.

"Watch it, witch." Zankou said to Piper as she began to raise her blasting arms. He pressed the knife harder to Paige's neck and a tiny trickle of blood seeped from the wound and ran down her neck. "You make one move, one at all, and she'll be dead before you can blink." Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, and into Paige's painfilled, almost unresponsive, eyes. The full situation was hitting home and they felt panicked and helpless. Zankou was going to kill their sister, in front of them, and there was nothing they could do about it. A Power of Three spell would be impossible, seeing how Paige was almost knocked out and in the arms of a demon.

Zankou smiled, noting that the remaining Charmed Ones had almost given up. This might be easier than he thought, killing the Charmed Ones. He would take his time, playing off of his hostage, killing Paige first and enjoying their suffering. Then he would make his move and end the Charmed Ones forever. All he had to do was press down a little bit harder on that athame…

10


	3. Terms of Endearment

**Chapter 2- Kyle's apartment-mid morning**

Phoebe felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched Zankou, knowing that he had full control over them, knowing that there was a chance that they wouldn't come out of this alive. She felt like collapsing, as if she weighed as much as an elephant and her legs would no longer hold her up. The sight of Paige's blood made bile rise in her throat, made her eyes swim, and her heart being to palpitate.

Piper didn't get sad when she saw what Zankou was doing; she got downright furious. How dare he involve her baby sister in his plan, as a way of getting to all of them. How dare he hurt Paige and seem to enjoy it so much. Her baby sister was suffering and this demon was going to make them watch her die. She felt anger bubble in her stomach and wanted noting more than to blow Zankou up again and again and again…

Paige felt like her world was being ripped apart, piece by piece. Her entire body hurt, such a mind-blowing pain it hurt to blink, hurt to breathe, hurt to live. Her eyes kept closing, and she felt as if she was being enveloped in a cloud of peaceful darkness. She heard her sisters voices and she wanted to call out to them, wanted to warn them about Zankou and help them fight, but no matter how hard she tried, her mouth wouldn't open and her head wouldn't stop spinning. She felt Zankou's knife bear down on her neck, but it hurt more to react then it did to sink under the black. So she let go…and her world went dark and she didn't hurt anymore.

Piper watched in horror as Paige went unconscious, suddenly dropping her head to her chest and letting her body slump. Phoebe screamed, thinking Zankou had killed her once and for all.

"It seems our little witch gave up." Zankou said with a grin, yanking Paige's head up again by the roots of her hair. A few strands of red fluttered to the floor, and a sob burst from Phoebe's throat. She had never been this scared before, not in her entire career as a witch. Zankou threw Paige in to the corner of the room, and her body made a sickening thud as it collided with a wall.

Piper glared at Zankou and stepped foreword, knowing he was trying to get a rise out of them, but too angry and scared to care. If Zankou was going to kill them, any of them, he would have done so by now. He just wanted to make them suffer, and Piper had to get Paige to Magic School before she…died. It was Piper's job, now, to protect her sisters, and she would protect them with everything she had.

"What. Do. You. Want." Piper said through clenched teeth, emphasizing each word with a blast to Zankou's arm. It began to bleed, but he was too strong to be vanquished in such a way.

"Don't rush me, witch." He glared at her and a fireball grew in the palm of his hand. He raised it as if he was throwing it straight at Piper, and she didn't even bat and eyelash. She knew what she had to do; she had to stand up to this demonic bastard and get Paige out of here before they lost another sister. She was more scared of loosing Paige than she could ever be of a measly fireball.

Zankou laughed, amused with the witch's bravery, but his interest in this aspect of the plan was ebbing. Paige was fading fast, and he had to get her back to his lair and keep her alive. She would be dead soon enough, but she had to stay alive for his plan to work. The Charmed Ones would not fight for a dead sister, but they would fight like hell for a live one.

"Here are my terms. I am going to give you the names of some upper level demons who I want vanquished. You kill them for me, with this," he pressed an athame in to Piper's hand. She shocked enough to drop it, but instead her fingers curled over the new weapon. He wanted to laugh again, but he knew that he didn't have time for the delay. As if that athame would do any good in the hands of a witch. "And I, in return, won't kill your sister. You fail to vanquish a demon with the specific requirements I gave, or come within throwing distance of either of us, and she will burn in hell for all eternity."

Piper blinked, and Phoebe let out a snort. There was no ways he had heard what she thought.

"You want us to become your personal assassins." Phoebe said, fear and a hint of amusement in her voice. She was terrified for Paige, but she was amused that he had the gall to expect the Charmed Ones to kill as he ordered.

Zankou shot her a steely glare and focused his demonic eyes straight on to her. The remaining Charmed Ones would be under his control, he knew how they worked, but he didn't have time to deal with the mechanics of it all. He had to go prepare to become the new Source.

"Yes. You are to do as I say, exactly as I say it, or your sister will suffer for the rest of her natural life. Her afterlife shouldn't be so much fun either." Piper's eyes grew hard and steely, knowing in her heart that this was real and terrifying, but also knowing that she had to find a way to save Paige. "You better succeed, as well," Zankou stated, as he began to pace around the room. "It won't be so easy, without the Power of Three, but every time you disobey me, your sister will be punished for it."

"How do we know that you won't kill her immediately, and we will be fighting for nothing?" Phoebe asked, knowing quite well how demons work. They aren't exactly known for being honorable.

Zankou smiled his evil grin. "Trust me, witch, you'll know. Now, do you agree to the terms, or shall I just kill her now?"

"We agree." Phoebe said quickly. She didn't want to fight for a demon, but she definitely couldn't let Paige die. He smiled his evil grin and shimmered out suddenly. Piper and Phoebe raced to Paige in the corner of the room. Maybe he forgot about her?

They had taken three steps before reappeared in front of them and thrust them both in to the back of the room with one arm. They watched in horror as he shimmered out, carrying their injured baby sister in his arms.

The two remaining Charmed Ones looked at each other and felt their entire world go down the tube. Their sister was gone, half-dead in the arms of a demon that they were now indebt to. If they didn't help him gain totally control of the underworld, which they knew was his final goal, they would be killing their own sister. They had just become Zankou's assassins, and Paige's life rested in their hands. Even as it was, they would never see their sister again.


	4. Old Friends, Dangerous Ideas

**Chapter 3-Attic-evening**

**BOOM.** A loud noise echoed throughout the attic, but Phoebe hardly even flinched. Her nerves, her heart, her soul was numb with pain and sorrow. Her sister, her baby sister, was gone and they still had to go on and fight demons as if nothing had ever happened.

Phoebe had been up here all night, making potion after potion for Zankou's little friends. She didn't want to go against them, but she loved her sister and she wanted to keep her safe. Without the Power of Three, they were seriously weakened and Phoebe knew that as many vials of extra power she could make, the more chances they had of getting out alive.

"Pheebs?" Phoebe turned around at the sound of her only remaining sister's voice. Piper held baby Wyatt in her arms and a bunch of feverfew in her outstretched hand. "This is supposed to increase the potency of a potion." Phoebe looked at Piper, really looked at her, and wasn't happy with what she saw. Piper had lost too much, so soon…first Leo, and now Paige. She looked empty, but Phoebe felt so helpless and empty herself she felt like there was nothing she could do to help her sister. That feeling was almost as bad as losing Paige…knowing that she and Piper were lost and there was nothing either of them could do about it. Not without Paige.

"Ok!" Phoebe exclaimed in a fake voice, trying to sound stronger and more stable than she was. While Piper had been the one who collapsed after Prue's death, Phoebe had always been closer to Paige than any of her sisters and she felt the loss the strongest. It took everything she has not to stay in bed crying all of the time, but she knew what she had to do. For both of her sisters. "We have over a hundred randomly strong potions, any of which should be able to vanquish a badass." Piper shook her head and turned a potion over in her hand, examining it, but not really looking at it.

"Zankou is going to try and send us after the strongest ones he can find, just to eliminate us." Piper's voice was firm, but hollow and Phoebe's heart ached for her sister. But her heart also ached for Paige, and she knew that they had to stay as strong as they could if they ever wanted to see her again. They would see her again; they just had to find a way to get to her.

All of a sudden, Zankou appeared in the attic, shimmering in between the sisters and the vials of potions.

"Hello, ladies. Pleasant evening, I hope." He grinned at them with yellow teeth and Phoebe shot him a murderous glare. She missed Paige so much it hurt, and he had the guts to show up here and act all…happy?

Piper raised her blasting arms but Zankou held a piece of parchment in front of him as a barrier. Piper had seen a list like that before, when she worked for the Angel of Death, and her better senses told her that if she destroyed that list she probably would end up making Zankou take out his anger on Paige.

"I am here strictly for business. Here is the list of demons I would like you to take care of," Piper took the list from him hesitantly, with one eye peeled and watching at all times. He had taken away her baby sister, and she would never get over that. She would give anything to make him pay…but she also knew that she had to do what he said, at least for her sister's life. At least for now. The whole mechanics of this endeavor was lost on Piper, she didn't want to lose Paige, she loved her sister dearly, but she knew the risks of giving so many upper level powers to one demon. But she could deal with that later; right now she would focus on getting Paige to life throughout the night.

Phoebe turned around to ask him, plead with him, to let them just know if Paige was alive but he had vanished as quickly as he had came. Her head dropped and she sank to the floor. Now that he had contacted them, Zankou would have no need to speak to them again and she might never find out if her sister was even alive.

Piper look at the list in her hand, filled purely with very strong, upper level demons. They were in for a hell of a ride, but they couldn't jump off or their sister would die.

Paige woke up, feeling almost revived, except for the fact that she was in a cage in what had to be the Underworld. Her head hurt, but she was no longer bleeding. She looked around, down at her many wounds, and was shocked to find that they were all gone. She was…healed. But how? Demons do not have the ability to heal, Leo was long gone, and if she was dead she wouldn't be _here._

"Hello, Paige." Paige's eyes widened and her heart rose to her throat. She knew that voice. She knew that voice all too well. She had been longing to hear that voice for months, it seemed like she had been longing to hear that voice for a lifetime.

"Kyle?" She squeaked. Paige spun around and found herself in the arms of her former boyfriend, who she still saw as the love of her life. "But how…you were dead. I watched you die." Her voice choked and Kyle wiped a tear from her eye. She buried her head in his shirt and let the tears fall, all of the tears that she had shed in his dead for pain she now shed with joy. It would have been the perfect reunion, had they not been in a cage in, well, hell.

"I was turned in to a Whitelighter, because I saved the world and all. The Elders seemed to think that balanced out how many times I screwed it up. I was on my way to tell you actually, when Zankou found me. Next thing I know I'm in here, been in here for months, and I can't get out." Kyle sounded very frustrated, but Paige was secretly glad that he was in here. If he wasn't, she would have died. She knew that, and he must know that too. Paige's eyes widened and she pulled away from her, looking around desperately for a means of escape.

"My sisters! They think I'm dead…or worse, they are dead!" Paige's voice was filled with panic, and Kyle took her in his arms and held her close.

"They didn't come with you, Paige. When Zankou brought you down here, he wanted me to heal you. He put you in the cage with me, when he had hundreds of other places in the Underworld for each of us. I think he's plotting a plan, Paige, a huge one." Paige's eyes filled immediately with fear.

"He's going to use me as bait. He is going to draw my sister's here, to they're doom, and kill them. And we are going to be in this cage, and there's going to be nothing we can do about it."

14


End file.
